DIGITAL RESIDENCY: THE BlSHOPS
2023 - 2024
A digital residency from artist Alastiar Flindall, reimagining the local sports heritage of Bishop Auckland Football Club (BAFC), its influence on the history of the sport, its part in the story of the town and its deep-rooted connection with the communities of South West Durham.
'20 Caps for England' is one of the artworks from the digital residency, referencing BAFC local legend Bob Thursby (standing with the mural) where viewers can activate the animation with an Augmented Reality filter on their mobile phones.
The AR animation that accompanied the interactive mural for ‘20 Caps for England’, featuring a very young BAFC legend, Bob Thursby.
The sporting heritage of Bishop Auckland Football Club is incredible - but true.
NMN Digital Residency artist Alastair Flindall worked closely with the club, known as ‘The Bishops’, its community members, ex-players and Durham Amateur Football Trust (DAFT).
Working with the BAFC community, Alastair uncovered stories big and small through hosting community gatherings where people ate together to ‘break bread’, regale personal stories and share their love for the club.
These conversations influenced the production of painted murals, Augmented Reality (AR) animation and oral history recordings.
Audiences were able to experience the artwork at various locations around Bishop Auckland, including the Town Hall and Bishop Auckland College, with a long-term exhibition site being arranged to reside at BAFC itself.
Test the first digital piece to come out of this project, ‘20 Caps for England’
20 Caps for England references local legend, Bob Thursby with a painted mural that is animated with an Augmented Reality filter.
At 19 years old, Bob played in front of 92,000 people at Wembley Stadium, helping Bishop Auckland to a win in the Amateur FA Cup Final.
He went on to captain the England amateur team 17 times, something most players only dream of. Alongside this amazing footballing career, he also had his own dentistry practice for 30 years in the area.
Imagine if players today aspired to have other careers? What would they be?
How to use the AR filter:
First, check your sound is on. Scan the QR code with your phone camera, then point it at the image of the mural to see Bob’s story come to life:
Context and ongoing work:
A lot of Alastair’s work across this residency has seen a balance of historical research and community consultation to reveal important history that’s grown from grass-roots passion for ‘the beautiful game’ - to global influence, friendship and unity - to BAFC becoming the most successful amateur club in English Football History.
So, what kind of things did the artist discover? BAFC won the Amateur FA Cup 10 times (mostly beating their neighbours such as Crooke Town AFC and Willington FC), and the town has gathered a lot of history since being established back in 1893.
Did you know that to this day BAFC still have a special relationship with Manchester United when The Bishops came to Manchester United’s rescue by loaning them three players to help fulfil their fixtures after the Munich Air Disaster, that sadly killed 23 people, including several members of Manchester United’s team, fans and journalists in 1958?
It was this digging into the past that Alastair was interested in exploring through his NMN Digital Residency, delving into the hidden gems of the traditional hobbies for South Durham men. Unearthing the forgotten glory of the area's Amateur Football leagues, of which this part of the County was once a powerhouse.
Alastair teamed up with DAFT (Durham Amateur Football Trust) and BAFC to develop this project, often searching through their archives and chatting with 1950s and 60s players who’re still around today. They discovered tales of triumph over the Southern teams, unshakable camaraderie and even playing the national Nigeria team twice in 1949 (who, incredibly, played barefoot, with foot bindings) with crowds of over 13,000 people watching BAFC beat the visitors 5-2.
Beyond the surface of a small-town club, Alastair uncovered a profound pride from locals in preserving these grass-root legends . BAFC boasting those 10 Amateur Cup victories, played a pivotal role in local history—supporting some of the earliest international players, aiding the aforementioned Munich Disaster and drawing massive crowds at Wembley of around 100,000 people.
“What stood out though, was the player’s (and club’s) humble approach to the sport, a far cry from today's glitzy leagues. Legends like Bob Thursby, who captained England while training to be a dentist, epitomized the era.
With an aim to captivate a new generation with the magic of local history, we crafted an Augmented Reality mural narrating Bob's extraordinary journey. Touring the region with support from Bishop Auckland Town Hall and fueled by workshops at Bishop Auckland College, with the aim of weaving the past into the fabric of the present.” - Alastair Flindall
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS —
Artist’s Research:
These images are a curated selection from Alastair Flindall’s project development trove - documenting BAFC archive memorabilia and black and white documentary photography by Noah Ringrose, capturing snapshots of the artistic development process and the ‘Breaking Bread’ community connection session that Alastair ran at the club.
↑ Photo Credit: Noah Ringrose
Bishop Auckland College, workshops:
These images are curated from Alastair Flindall’s personal development work as he collected stories and documented relevant archive material to develop the BAFC stories he wanted to tell.
Project Partners:
— 'The Bishops' Digital Residency Partner Organisations; Durham Amateur Football Trust (DAFT), Bishop Auckland Football Club, The Bishops Museum, Bishop Auckland College, BATH Gallery, Bishop Auckland Heritage Festival
— 'The Bishops' Digital Residency Panel; Barbara & Geoff Wood, Clement (? - I'll find out - oops), Steve Newcombe, Terry Jackson, John Phelan, Julie Scorer, Deborah Connell
— Special thanks to Bob Thursby, Mike Amos, and others
— All the young people from Bishop Auckland College Art Department
— Nick Bounds (animation) & Brian George, Percy Street Collective CIC
— Produced by Alastair Flindall, Neck of the Wood Studio
— Town Clerk, Sarah Harris
— Commissioned by No More Nowt and funded by funded by Arts Council England
